Brown playing ‘big’ role for Clippers

PORTSMOUTH — Alicia Brown’s always been big, which has certainly helped her performance as a basketball player.

But it’s what the Portsmouth High School senior center has done with that size that’s turned her into a college basketball player.

For the second year in a row, the Portsmouth program will have one of its own continuing her career in college. The 6-foot-3 Brown recently received her acceptance from the University of New England, a Division III power in Biddeford, Maine, that had been actively recruiting her, and informed coach Anthony Ewing she’d be coming.

“I heard from them over the summer,” she said. “In October I stayed overnight and took a tour of the school, and after that I think I knew that was the school for me.”

Brown, who is averaging 14 points for a good Portsmouth team, had some partial scholarship offers from Division II schools, said her AAU coach with the Lady Spartans, former Winnacunnet and Keene State standout Chris Coates, who’s aided her with the recruiting process.

But she felt UNE offered the best combination of basketball and academics, as it offers a Marine Sciences major.

“It was really between Keene State and UNE,” said Brown. “It was really tough because I liked both basketball programs. But I liked the sciences program better at UNE.

“At the end of the day, she’s a very, very smart girl off the basketball court and, unfortunately, some of the Division II schools didn’t have her major,” said Coates. “I think she definitely could have earned a Division II scholarship.”

In addition to her 14 points a game, Brown leads her current team with eight rebounds and three blocked shots a game. The Clippers (9-2) opened the week alone in second place in Division II behind unbeaten Lebanon, and visit Kingswood on Friday.

Last year’s leading scorer for the Clippers, guard Markey Flewelling, has been an impact freshman this winter at New England College, a Division III school in Henniker. Flewelling is averaging 9.5 points and for the Pilgrims, who are 14-4 and one of the top teams in the North Atlantic Conference.

Senior wing player Devon Parker, one of the state’s top schoolgirl lacrosse players, signed a letter of intent last fall to play lacrosse at Division I Syracuse.

Next fall, Brown will join a UNE team that is graduating its tallest player and leading scorer, 6-foot center Beth Suggs. Suggs is one of just two seniors on this year’s team, which is 11-0 and in first place by three games in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Her assets are not just her size and a good outside shot for a post player, but the way she’s become a more aggressive player, which caught the notice of Division II and III coaches during her high school and AAU seasons.

Last year, the started on a Portsmouth team that finished 15-5, reaching the Division II quarterfinals before losing at Lebanon. This year, she and her teammates have already made a couple statement wins, including last week’s 58-44, not-as-close-as-the-score-suggests rout of a Goffstown team that entered with just one loss.

On a team that likes to run and defend on the perimeter behind players like Parker, and starting guards Phoebe Collins and Tight Loch, Brown and forward Christina Jones have provided the production and rebounding inside, though both will take the 16-footer when it’s open.

“She’s always had a great outside shot,” said Portsmouth coach Danny Parr. “Her whole game has really improved.

Parr said he’s even noticed an improvement since she got her acceptance to UNE a few weeks ago.

“I absolutely have,” he said. “I didn’t know that early that she’d made that choice. But when she told me she had a big smile on her face, and since then she’s played better, and against teams that are really banging her.”

At what point did Brown see a college career come into focus?

“After my sophomore year,” she said. “I went from reserve (team) to varsity and actually thought, ‘Wow. I actually am pretty good.’ Then when I played AAU that spring (Coates) said I really have a chance (to play in college) and that he’d help me out. … I think I got a lot better in AAU.”

Brown joined the Lady Spartans her freshman year and turned eyes with her size, if not her play.

“She was about 6-1, 6-2 then,” recalled Coates. “Of course, my eyes lit up. But she hadn’t played any organized basketball outside of school. … I wanted her to play a little more physical and a little harder. She came back in Year 2 and had an inner passion. You finally saw it click, the inner motivation that she wanted to play in college.”

Twice she’s helped the Spartans finish as runner-ups in New Hampshire. In the summer before her junior year, she was part of the first Spartans girls’ team to make a national tournament, and even hit the game-winning basket to beat a team from Long Island in Orlando, Fla.

She was the MVP of a Lady Spartans team that finished as the New Hampshire runner-up, averaging 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.

“She had the size and she had the skill, but playing down low in the post, (physicality) is what separates the player from the complete player,” said Coates.

College choice made, her focus is now keeping these Clippers moving forward. They still have tough tests remaining against Windham (Feb. 8) and at Kennett (Feb. 15), plus games against teams like Oyster River and Souhegan they certainly can’t look past.

And Brown doesn’t need college to teach her how close this race for a top-four seed has gotten.